New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-18
DEBATING THE COERCION BILL.
THE EGLADsTONIAN AMENDMENT REJECTED

COMBINATIONS TO DEFEAT ExToITIoN WILL BE
MADE A CRIMINAL OFFENCE.
LONDON May 1.-THE debate on the Coercion bill
was resumed this evening. Sir William Vernon liar-
court moved an amendment oxen ptng from secret
inquiry al proceedings relating to public meetings or
agrarian movements. including com mbinatiOns h obtain
reductions Of rent He said that If the Government
were content TO direct inquiries authorized under the
bill to such offences murder. arson. moonlight
ing dlnutlation OF cattle the bill might pass The
bill then deal with actual crimes; it would not
be a ssure creating offences. In its present forh
the b night apply matters never before recognized
as.elements OF incrimination The House ought nos
toalow measure to pass for the purpose of repress
ing crime which really had another object What was
the Governments intention Did they propose to
suppress combinations against landlords Was
breach OF contract TO be made criminal offence
Would the Government give to Irish tenants the same
assurance OF protection given to laborers IN
Euglandl [Cheors Would they make 1t clear that
tn, tenants right OF combining with regard to land.
the Guilty. alton OF which their Industry. would be
placed upon the footing with the rights OF Eng
lish workmon with regard to thoir labor Ii there
was land trades In Ireland would the bill sup
press iti TCheers. II so on what grounds did the
Government distinguish between Irish trades union
and an English trades union } CHEERS
Mr.. Balfour, Chief Secretary for Ireland held that
the offences embraced in the measure had been sulh
GENTLY defined. and that the amendment; If adopted
would simply render the bill futile, leaving out nearly
all agraran offences He said that the comparison OF
n trades union with tho Irish conspiracy to pay no
rent was obviously absurd The law OF conspiracy
regarding wages had q distinct history from what
was now occurring in Ireland. The bill dealt with
conspiracy TO defraud landlords. with conspiracy to
prevent the tree exercise of private and public rights
in matters oil trade, and other forms OF Doycotng.
As TO the suggestion that the bill would be alo we'd to
progress the Government ceded the amendment,
he would distinctly intimate that the Government
would not yield to obstruction anything they refused
to argument Cheers.
Mr. Dillon contended that unless the amendment
wero accepted the Government woud be able TO im-
prison everybody who might be politically Obnoxious
Mr.. Gladstone said he regretted that the Gov rn-
ment had tailed 10 recognize the Justice OF granting
the Irish tenant the protection they afforded the
English workman. As tn bOycOtuLg. the GoFern
ment must explain what was meant by that term
Was intimidation included, only bOycotlng leading
to exclusive dealing |" Hear. hear!'I When MI
Bavur said that tho Government refused TO yield TO
obstruclon the Oppositions response was that they
had the right to refuse TO yield tyranny. Cheers
Sir f. l.. Webster, Attorney General, asked whether
Il could be seriously conteuded that there was any
real analogy between the OF the British workman
and that of the Irish tenant. There wide dis
tinction between an hoTest combination oil tenants
who were trying get landlords 10 reduce rents and
a combination among those who could pay, nut VINO
ere bringing outside association 10 assist them
in evading tho payment OF what due Cries OF
Hear, hear The bill solely aimed at dealing
with criminal conspiracy.
Thomas OConnor said that combinations OF land
lords keep rackrents at the starvation point woud
be permitted, Ghile the combination OF tenants to
defeat extortion would be made criminal offence.
lCries OF Hear Hear ~
The amendment was negatved by vote OF 2i2 to
1SO